VERO BEACH - Indian River County Healthy Start Coalition was one of the non-profit programs selected by the Executive Committee of the Quail Valley Charity Cup to receive funding.

The grant will benefit the "Gifts to Inform" newborn program which supports two gifts given to parents of newborns: early reading to babies and healthy newborn sleeping habits.

The "gift to inform" helps prevent sleep related infant deaths with "This Side Up" onesies that go home with every infant born at Indian River Medical Center (approximately 1,200 births each year). The clothing is an excellent tool for staff to instruct and remind new parents and other family members to the importance of newborns to sleep on their back.

Additionally, as a means to introduce new parents to early reading activities for babies in the first year, new moms and dads are presented with a baby reader. The baby reader has simple parent notes explaining how and why parents should read to their young child.

The Indian River County Healthy Start Coalition oversees the funding and services for five programs: MomCare, Healthy Start Care Coordination, TLC Newborn, Healthy Families – IRC and Partners in Pregnancy & Parenting.

For more information, contact the IRC Healthy Start Coalition at 563-9118 or visit www.irchealthystart.org.

This story is contributed by a member of the community and is neither endorsed nor affiliated with TCPalm.